CC Good Enough, Or, Yet TBD?
Below are CC Sabathia’s stats over his last 20 starts, from May 8th through August 18th:
GS IP BB SO ERA BF BA OBP SLG 20 139.6 33 116 3.22 551 .224 .273 .379
Sabathia has gone 13-4 in these starts – and, overall, the Yankees have gone 13-7. Clearly, CC is pitching, these days, like the “ace” that New York was expecting when they went out and spent all that money on him.
However, to be a “true ace,” it’s required that you be the type of pitcher who will take the ball in Games 1 and 4 of the LDS, and who takes the ball in Games 1, 4 and 7 of the LCS and the World Series, and delivers in those chances. And, as we know, to date, CC has had some issues in the post-season.
How do you feel about this? Will Sabathia deliver for the Yankees this season in the post-season? And, if he doesn’t, does it mean that he’s failed to accomplish what he was brought in to New York to do?
CC has been pretty darn good all year long for the Yanks. It’s hard for me to say he’s “justified the contract” because I don’t believe in that concept. To me, he’s done exactly what has been expected of him, namely putting in good efforts in every start, going deep into games, giving his team a chance to win and, on several occasions, pitching on par with the other aces in baseball (Halladay, Beckett, Haren, Santana, Carpenter, etc.).
I am very satisfied with Sabathia and I have all the confidence in the world that he’ll be just fine in the playoffs.
TBD. Like it or not, Yankees players are judged by how they play in October. If he pitches well and they lose, then he will be fine. But if he flops, he turns into A-Rod the sequel until he comes through.
yagottagotomo1 wrote:
I highly doubt it reaches A-Rod hating proportions. Sabathia may come up short in October (although I personally don’t think so) but I think, no matter what, any failures in October will always come down to blaming A-Rod. He’s the most hated hometown athlete in NY since Patrick Ewing. So sad…
Like it or not, Yankees players are judged by how they play in October.
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I know this concept will never change, but I really wish it would. I think we learned last year that we’re not guaranteed a playoff berth anymore just because we’re “the Yankees with all the money and talent in the World.”
Putting together a 162 game effort like we have to this point, to where we can win 95+ games and win the tough AL East is a HUGE accomplishment, and I wish Yankee fans didn’t overlook it so easily. We should really look at it like the Red Sox do. Your goal is to get to that postseason any way you can, and then anything can happen. Anything.
I’ll be upset if CC flops in the postseason, and in turn will be upset that the Yankees didn’t win a World Series because that’s what we all want. But I will never turn CC into a scapegoat or whatever every idiot Yankee fan has turned A-Rod into at this point.
YankCrank wrote:
YankCrank, you’re on a roll this morning. Amen to everything you just wrote.
YankCrank wrote:
I will continue to insist that those who focus on the “ZOMG $200M!!11!!” aspect of the payroll read up on how the roster is/was constructed.
Anyway the biggest difference between the two years is Melky, Jeter & Cano improving, and Posada playing full time. The pitching is performing similar to the way it has been for a while…
ERA+
09: 104
08: 104
07: 99
06: 102
OPS+
09: 116
08: 101
07: 117
06: 111
YankCrank, you’re on a roll this morning. Amen to everything you just wrote.
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Thanks MJ, it’s always good to be on the same page with somebody!
“And, as we know, to date, CC has had some issues in the post-season.”
I’m so sick of hearing people go on about this. In 2008, Sabathia made his final 3 regular season starts on 3 days rest, and then made his only post season start on 3 days rest. Is it any wonder he pitched poorly in the playoffs.?
He had a bad post season in 2007, but I think we also need to consider that his performance under pressure in September in both years (2.4 ERA in 2007, 2.1 in 2008, averaging better than 7 innings per start) was spectacular, and delivered both teams to the playoffs.
He’ll be fine in October, and hopefully we won’t have to hear this anymore.
Totally agree, YankCrank. However, as much as we do not like it, this is the reality of fandom in NY- if you do not play well in the playoffs, the season was a failure.
@ yagottagotomo1:
if ya ain’t first, you’re last